Instant Pot Paleo Thai Carrot Soup – A Whole Foods Knock-Off

The first time I tasted the Thai Carrot Soup from Whole Foods Market...it was love at first spoonful. How had I missed this amazing soup before??!! Creamy, loaded with Thai flavors, this soup surprised me!

The only reason I grabbed it all is because my neighbor had mentioned it to me and how much she had loved it. I wouldn’t normally be drawn to something with carrot. I mean…it’s not like carrots aren’t great…but they are not my go-to vegetable, so sue me!

But this Thai carrot soup. It is seriously amazing. And before I had moved onto my second spoonful….I was brainstorming ways to recreate it. After all , at $6.99 for a pint…this was not cheap. And I knew I could do it and leave out canola oil and other weird ingredients (hydrolyzed yeast extract?) I didn’t really want (please lose the vegetable oil Whole Foods!!).

I first tried to see if a a recipe was already online…but I couldn’t find ANYTHING…it was all totally different. So armed with an ingredient list…I set to work.

When my trusty stove-top pressure cooker started causing me grief with the pressure gauge….I knew the time might soon be upon me to replace this well-loved and well-used kitchen pot. Not having one was not an option….it is one of my most used pots…dinner in a FRACTION of the time..(think pot roast in under an hour)!! This busy mom would never be without the convenience!! I had been seeing posts for ages about others and their Instant Pots…so I started looking there first. It didn’t take long to see that this was definitely the pot for me:

plug in, run an automated program for whatever your cooking, and then forget about it (you have to watch stove top ones carefully since they are on a continuous heat source)

large capacity

rice cooker

slow cooker

yogurt maker

very quiet operation (unlike my stove top cooker)

And since receiving my new toy, I have been using it incessantly.

So of course I used it to make this Thai carrot soup because I adore my little kitchen wonder!!

No Instant Pot? No Problem!!

No biggy if don’t have one…stove top is easy enough too, just more cooking time.

Come and enjoy a warming, flavorful Thai carrot soup that even my husband willingly eats (not much of a soup guy)!

Instructions

INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS

Using the saute feature, heat the oil and add the onion. Sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften but not brown.

Add in the chopped carrot and pepper, sauteing for a couple of minutes.

Add in the broth and all the spices, stirring.

Lock the lid and set manual pressure for 5 minutes.

When time is up, do a quick release, unlock the lid, add the cilantro, and puree the soup in a blender, food processor, or try using your immersion blender.

Add back to pot and stir in the cream and stevia (if using).

Enjoy!

STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS

The same as above, but at step 4, you will cover and simmer about 30 minutes until carrots are tender.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Paleo Thai Carrot Soup - A Whole Foods Knock-Off

Amount Per Serving

Calories 118Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Sodium 1083mg47%

Potassium 400mg11%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 16225IU325%

Vitamin C 17.9mg22%

Calcium 39mg4%

Iron 1.1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Hi Tessa – when I lived in Houston three years ago, I LOVED on this soup from WF, and ate it all the time – especially when I was pregnant with my first kiddo. Since moving back to the East Coast (and nowhere near a WF), I’ve been searching for something similar EVERYWHERE (especially now that I’m pregnant with my second!). I even called the WF corporate office to try to get the recipe. Haha. I just made your recipe, and it is PERFECT! Thank you thank you THANK YOU for re-creating this!

So glad it hit the spot Jackie!! I knew I couldn’t be the only one who obsessed on that soup…’necessity’ is always the mother of all inventions! I actually have not seen the soup at my WF in awhile…..so it’s a good thing I cam up with this!

I was looking for an interesting carrot soup recipe and yours shouted out at me. I added a few things to your recipe because I can never leave well enough alone. I added 1/2 daikon radish because it acts like a potato to thicken soups. I also added a small red bell pepper, 12 oz pkg of pre cut butternut squash, 1/2 shallot. I added some Trader Joe’s Healthy 8 chopped assorted vegetables (it was in my refrigerator and wanted to use it up). I also substituted the Baharat seasoning blend that I had made from a Melissa Clark’s Instant Pot Recipe. I didn’t think it needed any sweetener. It was divine. I will definitely make this again. Thank you!!

Judy! I just love all of your adaptations! Soups are so great at being easily adaptable into using what you have on hand for adjusting flavor profiles! Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know how it went, I’m for sure going to try some butternut squash sometime! One of my faves!

I’m like you in that I like carrots, but I’m never craving carrots – they aren’t my go-to at all but this soup sounds SO good with the jalapeno and the curry. Totally agree that Whole Foods should kick the vegetable oil! It doesn’t make sense!

I haven’t even unboxed my instant pot yet but would love to try this recipe first. I got an 8 qt version. Do I need to worry about there not being enough liquid in this? I thought I’ve read somewhere that liquid amount is important and was wondering if the 8 qt model would he too big.

Soup turned out delicious. I used fish sauce, coconut milk (use the thicker kind for a creamy soup), brown sugar instead of honey, and Thai chili instead of the Jalapeno/Serrano. Will make again, and again, and again… Thank you!